helilõiked

Helilõiked is a term used in Estonian musicology and education to refer to short audio excerpts taken from a larger musical work for analysis, teaching, or critical discussion. The word combines heli, meaning sound or audio, and lõik, meaning cut or segment. The concept corresponds to what is commonly called a musical excerpt or audio snippet in other languages.

In practice, helilõiked are passages chosen to illustrate a specific musical idea, such as a motif, harmonic progression, rhythmic figure, timbral feature, or a moment in form like a cadence or development. They are typically short—ranging from a few seconds to several bars—yet long enough to convey the feature under study without needing the entire work.

Helilõiked are used in textbooks, lectures, scholarly articles, and online educational resources. They may be presented as audio recordings, MIDI realizations, or notated examples accompanied by commentary. The concept helps learners and researchers focus on particular aspects of music-making, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, or form, and is frequently employed across diverse repertoires.

Related terms include musical excerpt, motif, and phrase. In practice, the selection of helilõiked depends on the analytical or pedagogical goal, as well as copyright and licensing considerations for the underlying recordings or scores.